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Or maybe JC remembers losing a lot of money on the Quake 3 port at which point he stopped listening to the vocal minority and took an honest assessment of the Linux user base. I haven't seen a new opinion about Linux from him since 2001, long before they signed with Zenimax.

I would really like to know how much it cost to port? I always thought ID made quick linux ports for the ultra nerds. Just a small gift. They never really sold it right?

But I am glad he said it in the open. It really gives you insight into how he thinks and how much he knows. And to claim that _at this time_ linux support wouldn't be worth it. How can you trust anything else he might claim?

Who knows - maybe TTimo left because it has been a constant fight against
a strong Linux support objection within the rest of the id stuff.
In the end it could be they even didn't allow him to port Rage on his own.

I used to love ID's work about 2 decades ago (I played Q2 MP incessantly for almost a decade). Today, I often forget they are out still out there. It doesn't matter who they support if they can't release a title worth a damn anymore.

I think Carmack vision is a little bit oldie because when he ported his Quakes he didn't get in contact with the most important hardware makers to improve graphics in Linux as is doing now Valve. If I remember well he got in contack only with the best graphics hardware maker at that time.
Also I think it might be that Steam on Linux not to be a great success, but anyway it will get users from Windows, and in the long term it will make money. In the short term it would make one or two million dollars the first year, which would pay the Linux port bill.

I was saying the same thing since the announcement of Valve being interested in Linux.
Linux has 1% desktop market share, from this 1% take the gamers which in Linux are just in a VERY VERY small amount.
Now take from this gamers the ones that are ready to pay, it goes almost to 0%. Ubuntu Software Center can be as a good demonstration that almost all of the Linux users don't want to pay a cent for software.
Linux is not a good platform for developers to make money on. And IDSoftware had to feel it on their skin. Put in a lot of effort to port and have additional expenses for nothing.

The way Valve sees it, is that Linux only has a 1% desktop share because of the lack of games. They figure if you build it, they will come. Put some games on the Linux platform and that 1% will surely rise. To how much is yet to be seen.

Also the difference between ID Software and Valve is nearly night and day. ID releases a few games onto Linux, and I guess they're hoping for users to switch OS's just because of ID. Valve has an ecosystem, where they bring a store and even tools for developers. They're getting very involved with linux development.

Linux already has something the average Joe Six Pack wants from an OS.

#1 Free.
#2 No need for anti-virus software.
#3 Customizable.

Joe Six Pack doesn't like these things about Linux.

#1 Software he owns working on Linux?
#2 Is it stupid proof?
#3 Why should I care?

The last one is important because there is lots of people still using Windows XP, and they don't care about upgrading to Windows 8 or bothering with Linux. They have no reason to.

I donate to software projects I like/appreciate, and offering fun and polished games for Linux wins devs my donations. I will never buy a game from the Ubuntu Software Center, even though I usually run Ubuntu, because they don't give you a cross-distro application. Application freedom, the freedom to run your games and other programs on any Linux distro you want, is a requirement for me as I refuse to be bound to a proprietary Linux OS. If they provide straight-up normal binaries or cross-distro installers, I pay. Desura has provided those things with Oil Rush and Trine 2, so I had no problem paying for those games.

The biggest problem on Linux that I keep saying over and over again and it seems like no one listens or cares is standards, including software installation standards. If there is any chance that a particular library you are linking to isn't a solid standard and might not be on someone's installed Linux OS, you need to include the damn thing in your installer or make it easy (automatically, preferrably) to get it.

The most important thing for anyone's freedom in any area, hardware and software, with cars and computers and TVs and all devices, is standards. Standards = freedom, thus Linux needs more standards. I don't know why this is a hard concept for anyone who cares about openness and freedom to grasp. Instead, Canonical wants their own Apple iStore, as does Microsoft, to lock users to their platform and their platform only. None of them will get my money because of that (among other factors).

Same here. Even though I'm a gamer for more than 5 years my first bought game was Oil Rush. Second I bought Trine 1, which is a great game, in Humble Frozen Bundle. I also plan to buy Trine 2. All this games have in common some requirements that I have.

These are my requirements for buying games:
1. Have a first class linux client
2. Have a stand-alone installer (no Desura, no Steam), but being available on Desura and Steam is a plus, like Oil Rush
3. No DRM, maximum that I allow is a simple serial number
4. No Internet connection required
5. If it's possible LAN multiplayer (with no internet required, not Starcraft II shit)
6. Demo available, if not i will download an unlocked version and play it. I don't buy games that I didn't played before.
7. Reasonable price (less than 30 $)

If my requirements are not met, they should go fuck themselves, because I like my freedom and I will not buy their game.

And what positive results Carmack wants?
You don't have a first class linux client, linux market share is less than 5%, you don't advetise linux much but you want positive results?
If you want positive results release a long awaited game like Doom 4 on linux first and wait 3-6 monts and then release it to Windows. You will see then.

Numbers from http://www.humblebundle.com/ prove you wrong, the population of Linux gamers is almost as big as Mac ones, but interestingly they tend to pay more than Mac and Windows community. It makes me believe there is a market waiting to be discovered.

Please don't use HB as a benchmark. First of all, both Mac and Windows have a much larger selection to choose from and little indies won't appeal to groups as much that can get the AAA titles on a whim. With Linux user and HB, they are starving for a game, any game, that isn't tux racer or some decade old port. That is what you are seeing when you look at HB's numbers and that is why you see them paying more as well. Pay what you want and pay what we ask are two very different marketing strategies and will carry two very different sets of numbers.

Well, can't just start bashing him because he hasn't made the business of games on Linux profitable - but I remember how hard it was to get ET:QW, and still is, get working in Linux because it's fairly difficult to find the latest updates, to make the binaries work, and manual it all. Perhaps if they didn't treat all Linux users including new ones like they're pro sysadmins, maybe they would've fared better.